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In Her Own Words: Jen Oon, digital audio pioneer and early podcast adapter
Jen Oon, SVP of Sales at DAX US, shares how curiosity and relationships shaped her career across Spotify, Pandora, and digital audio.
Why executives make bad patients — and how three Triangle leaders say to fix that
Business leaders discuss recovery challenges at Triangle Business Journal panel featuring Chip Payne of Precision Packaging Services and medical experts.
Red Cell Partners lands Pentagon contract that could generate $100M for its portfolio startups
Red Cell Partners, a McLean venture firm, won a Pentagon contract worth up to $100 million to identify cost-saving opportunities using AI technology from its portfolio startups.
Louisville tech firm V-Soft already seeing payoffs from its latest acquisition
V-Soft's acquisition of St. Paul-based Logisolve adds data and AI capabilities, helping the Louisville firm expand its technology consulting offerings.
Sporticast: An NFL Safety’s Journey From Truck Hits to Trucking Biz
On the 585th Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams speak with Antoine Bethea, a former All-Pro safety, about his business journey since retiring from the NFL. Bethea was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2006 draft. He went on to play 14 NFL season with the Colts, San …
Five things you need to know today, and a new dentist
Five of the most important Cincinnati business news stories you need to know today.
Apple to Make First Big Change to iPhones in Years
Fans of the company’s products widely believe it will unveil a folding smartphone at its annual launch event on Wednesday.
French A.I. Start-Up Mistral Raises $3.5 Billion as Part of Strategy Shift
Mistral is trying to keep pace with American and Chinese rivals while offering customers a European alternative for artificial intelligence.
Skorch'd Pizza filling former Mother restaurant space in Midtown Sacramento
Skorch'd Pizza is coming to 2319 K St., a Midtown Sacramento space previously occupied by vegetarian restaurant Mother.
Tata launches €3.82 billion Iveco takeover that could combine two major African truck networks
Tata Motors has opened its €3
Star Stable Entertainment lays off 20% of staff
Nordisk Games-owned developer Star Stable Entertainment has laid off approximately 20% of staff.
African Bizav Strives for Greater Market Opportunity
Industry group presses for regulatory progress and continuity across the continent
Ask ACE: How do I find the right resources for my new business?
Finding the right resources starts with getting clear on what you actually need, according to Rachel Battarbee from the Association for Consulting Expertise.
From the Deputy Editor: Small-business wisdom from the trenches
The latest edition of Mainebiz looks at different routes to startup financing and the growing popularity of coworking across Maine.
Why AI Governance is Now a Board-Level Business Priority
With AI adoption outstripping governance, ISACA research highlights rising pressure on leaders to ensure systems are secured and backed by skilled teams
From masters in management to mental health start-up
Study story: Healthcare entrepreneur Julia Néel Biz applied lessons and connections to build a business
Oil Prices Rise Slightly After U.S. and Iran Trade Strikes
Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil, was up about 1 percent as trading resumed on Sunday, while the national average price of gas was nearly $4.15 a gallon.
The core anti-Pangram constituency is phony writers
Welcome to The Closing Argument, our verdict on the news, plus everything The Argument published and appeared in this week. The Verdict, by Kelsey Piper A lot of people hate AI for drowning the internet in slop and displacing human creatives. You might think that these people would be thrilled by a program that can identify and flag AI-generated work. But many people who hate AI also hate Pangram, an impressively accurate AI detector that produces very few false positives, according to high-quality independent research. This loathing found its most recent expression in a bizarre Wired article that amplifies a wide range of false arguments from Pangram skeptics: that AI detectors are racist (they’re not) or ableist (they’re not)1 or don’t work (this one does)2. Rather than starting from the premise that it would be really valuable to have a working AI detector and scrutinizing Pangram to make sure it lives up to that promise, the article starts from the premise that Pangram obviously has bad vibes and sets out to discover why. (One answer: The CEO microwaved lunch during an interview!) Why aren’t writers who resent Pangram more eager to distinguish themselves from posters who are having ChatGPT ghostwrite all their work? There are a few different things at play, but I think one key dynamic is this: These are often the same people. A core constituency for arguments like Wired’s is “writers” who are using AI to write their posts but resent this fact being made public. They stand to lose from AI detectors because AI detectors call them out. Share When Substack announced a partnership with Pangram, a sizable fraction of the platform’s authors rose up in outrage. Some people had experience with other AI detectors that didn’t work, and some felt that AI writing ought to be encouraged — both of which are fair enough. But the fury was fueled by authors passionately insisting that Pangram kept wrongly accusing them on almost every post they published. Pangram can be wrong, especially on short passages. But in the overwhelming majority of cases where Pangram looked at a whole blog post rather than a single paragraph, the program correctly detected work as AI. Even if we can’t be 100% sure in any individual case, we can notice the trend in the aggregate. Wired quotes Sam Illingworth, a professor of critical AI literacy at Edinburgh Napier University, who said, “I don’t think [AI detectors] work. … I think that detectors are prejudiced against certain people.” This spring, he said that he used AI for research and editing; this summer he acknowledged that in addition to research and editing, he also uses it “now and then for a turn of phrase I keep.” Pangram informs us that most of his posts are 100% AI-written (some are mixed AI-and-human) and that 100% AI-written posts started appearing last year. The favorable interpretation is that, as someone whose recent work Pangram consistently mistakes for AI, Illingworth sees Pangram’s flaws firsthand. The unfavorable interpretation is that the tool’s credibility trades off against his own, because its account of who writes his posts is not consistent with his. Illingworth is not alone in insisting the detector does not work. “It’s a Monday night in late July, and I’m pasting my own Substack draft into an AI detector for the first time. Not because I’m worried. Because I’m curious. I wrote every word of it myself, the way I write everything, out loud in my head first, in a rhythm that still carries the accent of a language I learned to think in before I learned to write in this one,” begins one Substack post by an author indignant that Pangram flags her writing as AI. “That’s the part I had to sit with before I could write this.” If you, like me, have worked with AIs a lot, you won’t even need Pangram there. The author of that piece is AI. It is obviously AI! I checked 10 other posts on the blog, and they were also obviously AI! “I have spent 22 years as an award-winning author and essayist. And now this bullshit tool that learned from MY writing is going to accuse me of plagiarism,” popular Substack writer Carlyn Beccia wrote in an anti-Pangram post. “For the last and final time, AI DETECTORS DO NOT WORK.” Here’s what her writing sounded like in 2020: “Most success stories revolve around one person who believed enough in you to say — give it a try. We call these people muses, but they are so much more than that. They are the strong man giants whose shoulders we stand on so we can see the horizon. Throughout the editing process, I am sure my editor felt less like a giant of greatness and more like Atlas with the world on her shoulders.” Pangram says it was 100% human-written. (So were other articles of hers in 2020.) And here’s what it sounds like now: “And then there is the reshuffling, which sounds like paperwork until you remember that empires have always loved paperwork. The Trump regime recently moved special education oversight from the Education Department to HHS. That is not a minor bureaucratic transfer. It changes the frame.”3 Pangram says this is mostly AI. I am not convinced that Pangram is wrong. In my own experience, Pangram is very effective on long texts — if it marks a long essay as AI, the essay was either written by AI or deliberately written to sound like AI. On tweet-length or paragraph-length texts, it’s not perfectly reliable. It seems to work just as well for non-native English speakers as for native speakers. While I have seen dozens of claims of pre-2022 text returning a positive result on Pangram, I have tried repeatedly to corroborate those and have never once succeeded. To be clear, I’m absolutely not saying that complaining about Pangram suggests a writer is a cheat. There are plenty of other concerns. Most are mistakenly premised, such as the false claim that Pangram trains on work you put into it, but others are reasonable: It’s unreliable on sufficiently short text segments; it creates an internet witch-hunt mentality when there are defensible uses of AI; people who are open about their AI use are sometimes blamed, when the only people really doing something wrong are the ones who hide it; and it isn’t perfect, so a single positive result shouldn’t be taken as decisive proof of misconduct. I’m happy to concede that Pangram is imperfect and possible to over-rely on. If an author’s posts are mostly non-AI and one scans as partially AI, this could be a mistake. It’s also possible to defeat Pangram with intentional effort. If you think we need something more robust and more reliable, fine! But if you don’t like AI and don’t like Pangram, your attitude really ought to be that it’s a shame that our existing tools for AI detection are imperfect, and it’s important to invent better ones. If your stance is instead that AI is evil and so is looking for AI, then ultimately you’re contributing to the sloppification of the internet. You’re making it harder for people who write their own text to distinguish themselves, and providing cover for authors who are definitely not writing their own text. Subscribe Top stories this week, by Kobe Yank-Jacobs Commentators often worry that the decline of reading could mean the decline of liberal democracy — but deliberative governance actually predated widespread literacy. This week, Maibritt Henkel pointed out that many liberal cultures thrive on a culture of raucous, interactive debate, which can happen in-person as easily, if not more so, than in text. Read on, dear reader, to learn more. It may actually cheer you up: [ ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/reading-wont-save-liberalism) [ Reading won’t save liberalism ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/reading-wont-save-liberalism) Maibritt Henkel · Sep 1 [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/reading-wont-save-liberalism) It used to be bad to downplay climate change (if we mean denying its reality). Today, it’s actually good to downplay climate change (if we mean keeping the issue out of political fights so we can make real progress). This counterintuitive view is called “climate hushing,” and contributor Alex Trembath argued that it’s the key to enacting good policy going forward. Get up to speed on the latest in climate politics: [ ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/we-wont-stop-climate-change-by-talking) [ We won’t stop climate change by talking about it ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/we-wont-stop-climate-change-by-talking) Alex Trembath · Sep 2 [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/we-wont-stop-climate-change-by-talking) Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney is standing up for the forces of liberalism against Donald Trump’s assault on our closest ally. So, why is one prominent left-wing commenter attacking Carney? Columnist Matthew Yglesias explains: [ ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-economic-liberty-means-central) [ When "economic liberty" means central planning ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-economic-liberty-means-central) Matthew Yglesias · Aug 31 [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-economic-liberty-means-central) 🌟Abundance Wins of the Week🌟 Shout out to my home state of California, whose legislature passed two housing bills this week. One requires a housing density minimum in transit-oriented areas of the state’s most transit-rich cities (Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, San Diego, and Long Beach). Another bill closes two common loopholes used by third parties to delay housing projects, including an opportunity to challenge maps of a given lot created by the developer after a project has been approved. Shout out to our big-state rival, Texas, where pro-housing SB 785 took effect this week. The new state law requires municipalities to have at least one district permitted for manufactured housing without a special permit. This will promote zoning changes in 44% of municipalities. The company Fervo Energy signed a deal with Google for what is set to be the world’s largest enhanced geothermal facility, proving a technology can work at a scale that could be crucial to a decarbonized, energy-abundant economy. Share Worth watching… This week, forecasting legend Nate Silver joined Jerusalem, Matt, and Jeremiah on a crowded episode of the pod. It was a party. And speaking of parties, our round table debated the factional lines within the Democratic Party: Is it possible to be center-left and also anti-establishment? Watch or listen to find out: The Rio Grande Valley in Texas is one of the areas that swung hardest toward Trump in 2024, but musician Bobby Pulido is running to flip it back. Right now, The Argument/Split Ticket’s model has him running 1.1 points behind his Republican opponent in a district Trump won by 18 points. Tune in to find out how he differs from national Democrats and what he thinks he can to do win this seat. On Thursday, Bernie Sanders was among the first politicians to call for a ban on superintelligence. My guest this week, Andrea Miotti, has been lobbying to ban superintelligence for several years, most recently in the U.K., U.S., and Canada. I asked him how he gets legislators to take speculative risks seriously, and we dug into what plans might look like to actually pass a ban. Listen to learn more: What’s News with The Argument The Argument recommends, by Kobe Yank-Jacobs If we ever lose track of Justin Zuckerman, I’ll have the team split up and check all the movie theaters in the city. I’m shocked (and a little jealous) at how often he gets out to see good cinema. This week, he brings us It Ends, a “horror-ish movie,” which he described as a “Gen Z Waiting for Godot.” I was intrigued before he added that it was “funny, dark and existential” — at which point I was fully locked in. I guess I also had existential themes on the mind this week. One morning, a single line from a poem I read long ago just came to me: “Is death a stretch of time in which a life is just a flash?” The poem is called “From 20,000 Feet” by Heather McHugh. I suggest the version in The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Poetry, which, by tradition, my best friend and I always bring backpacking, extra weight be damned. We’ll stay thematically dark for just one more rec from senior editor John Robert Thomason, whose upcoming trip to Baltimore reminded him to suggest Michael Clune’s memoir White Out (about being addicted to heroin in Baltimore in the 1990s). Ben Lerner’s blurb called it _“_Disturbing, brilliant, hilarious—it’s as if Proust had written Jesus’ Son.” John told me this “seems accurate, with the caveat that I’ve never read Proust.” I, personally, have also shelved Proust until retirement. At this point, I was a little concerned for the team since all of us tossed out such psychologically grim material — maybe we’re all down about the end of summer — but thankfully, at least a few of us were into more upbeat selections. Milan Singh recommended Made In’s 5-quart stainless clad saucier, suggesting he had some fun in the kitchen. Jeremiah Johnson asked if he could recommend yet more Carly Rae Jepsen. Once denied, he offered up Game Changer instead_,_ calling it “the most wildly creative game show, maybe in the entire history of the genre.” Eli Richman mentioned _Lucky, “_a B-tier show with an A-tier cast and an S-tier theme song.” I suppose he was recommending the song, Horns of a Bull. Still, despite these cheerier recs, I couldn’t help but be concerned that we were subconsciously worried about racing toward summer’s end — the end of swim trunks and splashing around. Then a message landed reminding me of the three-day weekend to come. A whole extra day for sunshine. One more swim in the lake. I was grateful this called to mind yet another line from a poem, one by Mary Oliver, the patron saint of every gorgeous summer day (and about whom a documentary is now out). Speaking to God in the poem “Thirst,” she wrote: grant me, in your mercy,a little more time. Love for the earthand love for you are having such a longconversation in my heart. We have merch! We have quarter-zips, keychains, hats, and stickers. Each one is a great conversation starter in its own way. Buy them here. Subscribe More to read: [ The Opening Argument ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/seeing-like-an-elite)[ Seeing like an elite ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/seeing-like-an-elite) Kobe Yank-Jacobs · Sep 4 What do Americans hear when they watch Sen. Bernie Sanders or Vice President JD Vance rail against the elite? Are they thinking of right-wing tech billionaires? Imperious college professors? Liberal magazine writers? [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/seeing-like-an-elite) [ The Weekly Scroll ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/god-is-back-on-the-timeline)[ God is back on the timeline ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/god-is-back-on-the-timeline) Jeremiah Johnson · Sep 5 This week, we’re talking about Substack’s new religious debates, the continuing MAGA influencer scandal, how to retire from YouTube, and aura battles. [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/god-is-back-on-the-timeline) 1 This was a legitimate thing to worry about, but doesn’t seem to be a problem given the actual technology: Marijke Van Vlasselaer, Filip Van Droogenbroeck, and Bram Spruyt’s 2026 paper looks at whether Pangram is less accurate when evaluating the work of non-native speakers of English. It isn’t. That’s because Pangram isn’t really looking at how “unusual” a piece of writing is but whether it has the characteristic patterns of LLMs. The Wired article makes an odd gesture at a different Pangram-is-racist argument. There were several controversies this summer during which upcoming books were canceled after being discovered to be AI-written: “The three novels mentioned earlier — Shy Girl, Daggermouth, and Call Me, easily publishing’s biggest AI-detection scandals — were all written by writers of color.” But come on! As Zvi Mowshowitz put it: “They were not primarily written by people of color. They were primarily written by AIs.” That’s the whole problem! And as my colleague Jeremiah Johnson recently observed with respect to Cambridge’s Arday scandal, a community being unwilling to call out fraud if it’s perpetuated by people of color is not an anti-racist tendency; it is ultimately quite racist. 2 Many non-Pangram detectors don’t work, but many possible airplane designs also don’t work, and no one considers this a general argument against aviation; the thing that matters is whether any detection works. 3 The phrase “empires have always loved” mysteriously became all the rage in the last few years. See here, here, here, here and here. Before 2025, the only use of that phrase I have been able to find is a single Tweet. The logic of the sentence, too, is incoherent in an AI-characteristic way. “...sounds like paperwork, until you remember that empires have always loved paperwork”? Does remembering that make it sound less like paperwork? It’s a craft-ful sentence, but what is it actually saying??
The business of educating black parents, teachers and kids
Bolanle Ambonisye knew she had stumbled onto something when parents began using her name to get their children to behave. “Lil’ Johnny was acting up last night. I told him I’m going to tell Mama Bolanle and he straightened right up,” she recalled parents telling her when she was a teacher at the Frederick Douglass […]
OSU president wants Columbus to be the ‘startup capital of the Midwest’
“I want investors all over the country to feel like they'll be missing out on opportunities if they're not keeping an eye on what's happening at Ohio State.”
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Level Best Marketing Co. celebrates 5th anniversary
The Berks digital marketing and web design services company works with construction and tradespeople.
Mother, daughter bring barbering skills to Oroville’s men
Shawn Page sat in the shop chair draped in a haircutting cape grinning from ear to ear as Theresa Kereazis gave him a haircut.
Scientists uncovered a bizarre crocodile cousin from 215 million years ago that started life walking on all fours, then changed its entire stance as it grew — by adulthood it was standing upright and striding around on two legs
A crocodile relative in ancient Arizona underwent a radical transformation during its lifetime, shifting from four-legged crawler to upright biped—a developmental puzzle that rewrites what scientists thought possible for reptiles.
Healthcare billing startup leases RiNo office after $120 million raise
Candid Health, which says it has 250 health care organizations as customers, is upgrading from the 2,000 square feet it had in the Wells Fargo Center downtown.
How Victoria’s Secret Is Reviving Its Pink Brand
After Pink’s sales slipped in recent years, Victoria Secret’s new chief executive is focused on making women feel bold and flirty.
Will a Turnaround Plan Revive Volkswagen or Merely Delay Its Demise?
The beleaguered auto giant reached a deal with unions to cut tens of thousands of jobs and slash production. Is it enough to revive an iconic German company?
Author Lise Barnéoud on the bizarre and provoking world of microchimerism — when cells from one person live in another, genetically distinct individual
Journalist and author Lise Barnéoud talks to Live Science about her book "Hidden Guests," which dives into the field of microchimerism and how it's transforming our knowledge of genetics, immunology and evolution.
Herbalife Appoints Company Veteran as its Interim CEO
Following Stephan Gratziani’s departure, 20-year company veteran John DeSimone will serve as Herbalife’s Interim CEO as it looks for Stephan’s successor
A ‘devil flower’ with no leaves, no branches, no green part has been discovered in a Thai forest, scientists say its bizarre appearance is hiding an even stranger secret
It has no leaves, no branches and no green parts, and spends much of its life concealed beneath fallen leaves on the forest floor. Scientists have now described a bizarre new flowering plant from Thailand, naming it Thismia daemona, the “devil flower”, for its dark, horn-like appearance.
Former NFL Star Shares Bizarre Aaron Rodgers Metaphor
Aaron Rodgers is back with the Pittsburgh Steelers for one final season at the age of 42. He will turn 43 years old in December as the postseason approaches. His age and gradual decline in overall play has many analysts wondering if he still has what it takes to lead the Steelers to a Super […] The post Former NFL Star Shares Bizarre Aaron Rodgers Metaphor appeared first on HEAVY.
Court Filings In A.I. Suit Invoke Copyright Law, Culture and Sports
Filings made Friday in The New York Times’s closely watched lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft included a range of copyright law and cultural references.
Chamber breakfast salutes business, community leaders
Staff report Four Mahoning Valley business and community leaders were honored for their contributions to the area during the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber’s annual Salute to Business breakfast Thursday at Eastwood Event Centre in Niles. “Salute to Business gives us an opportunity each year to recognize people who are doing great work in the Mahoning Valley,” […]
Suspect in string of Sacramento business burglaries arrested
A suspect was arrested in an investigation into a series of burglaries earlier this week in Midtown Sacramento, police said Friday.
UA Foundation Adds Analytics, Strategy Leaders
Gwendolyn Gruenig is the new Chief Data and Analytics Officer and Stephanie Monahan is Director of Strategic Initiatives at UA Foundation.
Y! Sports Biz: Fine-ers Keepers
The Clippers' fine is not the heaviest in sports history.
Tammy Allen to retire from Foulston Siefkin after 40-year marketing career
Tammy Allen, CMO of Foulston Siefkin LLP, retires Dec. 31 after nine years at the Wichita law firm, with her marketing role split between two successors.
Opinion: Getting new hires in the door is only half the workforce challenge
Chicago has invested heavily in talent pipelines. Employers must now focus on the workplace culture that determines whether new hires stay and succeed.
Meet the ‘Devil Flower,’ a Creepy New Plant Scientists Just Discovered
The bizarre parasitic plant has black flesh, horn-like structures and fewer than 50 known individuals left in the wild.
One of the region's largest public companies completes $315M acquisition
Hillman Solutions expands into industrial fasteners with $315 million acquisition of Illinois-based Kanebridge Corp.
Amherst chamber tops list of WNY's largest business advocacy groups
The Amherst Chamber of Commerce is the only organization representing over 1,000 members. The Construction Exchange of Buffalo & WNY Inc. ranked second.
U.S. Diesel Prices Set New High
Because of the war in Iran, the cost has climbed past the record it reached in 2022 after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
New Business Licenses: 9.4.26
This week's list from Chesterfield and Henrico include restaurants, coffee shops, a salon and more. (BizSense Pro required)
BizTimes editor talks on Channel 12 about Water Street business closures
BizTimes editor Andrew Weiland joins the 4 p.m. newscast on WISN-TV Channel 12 each week to discuss the latest business headlines in southeastern
Judge Ends Federal Oversight of Teamsters
The union and federal prosecutors agreed that organized crime groups had been rooted out of union operations, the judge wrote.
Opinion: California billionaire tax could push founders away
Silicon Valley has made California a global hub for startup activity, but a proposed billionare tax puts all that at risk, writes tax policy expert Jared Walczak.
Pacific Science Center Receives $5.25 Million Grant to Sustain Science on Wheels Program
Pacific Science Center has received a $5.25 million grant from The Laura Ellen and Robert Muglia Family Foundation to support... Read More
Michael Bloomberg Gives $155 Million to Museum of Science, Boston for New Civic Wing
Michael Bloomberg has donated $155 million to the Museum of Science, Boston through Bloomberg Philanthropies, funding a new public venue designed to bring... Read More
Phoenix data center firm raises $1B to repurpose older facilities amid construction backlash
Saragon, backed by I Squared Capital, is repurposing existing data centers across the nation for AI inference, with headquarters in Phoenix and plans to hire 160-180 employees by end of 2027.
The New York Times Hires STAT’s Eric Boodman as National Science Correspondent
The New York Times has hired STAT journalist Eric Boodman as its national science correspondent, a new position on the... Read More
VCU Health awards cleaning services contract to new vendor, to pay $26M in first year
The contractor transition means at least a temporary layoff of more than 500 employees, though many of them are expected to be rehired by the new vendor.
Large data center project in Weld County clears its first hurdle
Global AI's 35-megawatt data center project on a former Kodak campus in Weld County won planning commission support Tuesday, advancing a project the company says could grow into a potential $2 billion to $20 billion investment.
What’s behind the wave of Water Street business closures?
BizTimes Milwaukee editor Andrew Weiland discusses the recent closures of Lowcountry and Silk on Water, the district’s public safety concerns and what it could take to revitalize the downtown entertainment corridor.
Baptist Health buys store property from Kohl’s for $54M
Baptist Health South Florida acquired the 92,726-square-foot Kohl's building in Coconut Creek for $53.5 million as part of its healthcare expansion in Broward County.
Fort Bragg Veteran celebrates expansion of high-end experiential entertainment brand
Photo provided by EscapologyAfter 15 years as an Army officer at Fort Bragg, Fayetteville resident Dan Cooke transitioned to business ownership to bring high-end experiential entertainment to North Carolina, applying strict military operational systems to scale his footprint across the state.Cooke got his start in the Army’s Boots to Business program.“Boots to Business was instrumental in preparing me to start a company. The program taught me how to develop a business plan, conduct market and financial analysis and critically evaluate whether a business concept was actually viable,” shared Cooke. “What made the program particularly valuable was that the instructors and mentors had real-world business experience…At the end of the course, I had to present and defend that plan. From there, they directed me to SCORE, where mentors helped me further refine the plan. I eventually presented it to a bank, which was impressed with the level of preparation, and I secured the financing necessary to build the business.”As Cooke neared the end of his military career, he began to wonder what would come next. Through his faith and some valuable mentors, he found the right avenue for his entrepreneurial interests.“While working on my instrument pilot rating, my flight instructor happened to tell me about escape rooms and the economics behind building them. He thought they could make for an interesting business. I took the analytical skills I had developed in the military, along with what I learned through Boots to Business, and began comparing the escape-room model against other opportunities I was considering,” explained Cooke. Cooke opened his first Escapology location in Fayetteville in 2019.“My approach was to start small and prove the model. Fayetteville made sense because I was already there, understood the market and could minimize my initial risk. It also became clear very quickly that I needed a partner that could provide the creative design, branding and industry knowledge that I did not have. After researching a number of options, Escapology became that partner,” added Cooke.Following the success of his initial venue in Fayetteville and a venue in Charlotte that opened in 2023, Cooke recently expanded into Raleigh with his third Escapology venue at Crabtree Valley Mall.His North Carolina footprint now includes:Fayetteville: A 5-room venue launched right after his Army transition in 2019.Charlotte: A 10-room venue opened in 2023, doubling his original operational footprint.Raleigh (Crabtree Valley Mall): A 6-room venue opened in May 2026, with plans to expand to 10 full rooms.Beyond his venues, Cooke expanded his local footprint by launching Jade Solutions in Aberdeen, N.C., an OEM manufacturing business that now builds prop and technical solutions for Escapology venues systemwide.Cooke shared that his long-term goal is to continue expanding Escapology in a healthy and sustainable way while enjoying the journey. “I actually did not start an entertainment business because I personally loved escape rooms. I started a business because I love the game of business itself. Growing up, I loved military simulation games and business tycoon games. I eventually had the opportunity to experience the first of those in the real world — I went to war, led troops and played my part in the military. Today, I would much rather apply that same drive to the real-world game of building businesses.I don't play business computer games anymore. I get to wake up and do it for real every day,” shared Cooke.
New Hubble images reveal a bizarre decagon over Saturn’s south pole
A hexagon darkens the clouds over Saturn’s north pole. Now, astronomers have found a similarly shaped atmospheric wave at the other pole.
Federal Judge Declines to Break Up Google’s Ad Technology Business
In a long awaited ruling, the judge said Google must make some changes to its ad tech business to handle antitrust issues, but did not disclose the measures publicly.
Employer Health Costs Are Expected to Spike in 2027
A new U.S. survey anticipates an average increase of 11 percent unless benefits are cut, the highest rate in decades. Other findings also predict a sharp rise.
Employer Health Costs Are Expected to Spike in 2027
A new U.S. survey anticipates an average increase of 11 percent unless benefits are cut, the highest rate in decades. Other findings also predict a sharp rise.
Santikos Far West expansion clears major hurdle
Santikos Entertainment closes on 22-acre acquisition in Far West San Antonio to build mixed-use development with entertainment center and retail.
FiveThirtyEight’s Podcast Hosts Reunite for a New Show
Nate Silver, Clare Malone and Galen Druke will host “Still Counting,” a nonpartisan politics show — on a decidedly partisan podcast network.
Get to Know Your Phone’s Built-In Emergency Kit
In times of natural disasters and other dangers, special features tucked away on your iPhone or Android device could help make a difference.
More than $1B in tariff refunds are in limbo. Here's why.
The U.S. has processed more than $106 billion in tariff refunds, but small businesses report rising costs and plan price increases related to shifting policies on tariffs.
Two Years In, Texas Business Court Finds Successes, Growing Pains
In a series this week, The Texas Lawbook dives into the Texas Business Courts’ first two years of operation and what changes may come during the next legislative session.
A search for one exotic particle uncovered two strange new structures
A search for one mysterious particle unexpectedly revealed evidence for two different structures that may belong to the bizarre family of exotic subatomic particles known as XYZ states. The findings could help physicists uncover new ways that quarks and gluons combine to create matter.
Capped or graduated income tax rate? Colorado voters to decide
The proposal to create income tax tiers — which would replace Colorado’s flat rate — has been certified for the November general election ballot, setting the stage for a major showdown between two competing forces seeking to define the parameters of state revenue. Initiative No. 195, which would raise the tax obligations on higher-income earners, will […]
Keurig Dr Pepper sells stake in Chobani ahead of split; Corgan enters new market with M&A
Keurig Dr Pepper is selling its stake in Chobani and using the proceeds to reduce debt ahead of a planned split. Private equity firm Align Capital Partners completed an exit, while architecture firm Corgan revealed its latest acquisition to enter another fast-growing market. Read on to learn about these deals and more as September gets off to a quick start.
Brewery exits Newport on the Levee, the latest in a string of recent retail departures
Wooden Cask Brewing closes its Newport on the Levee location due to high rent and low traffic, joining other retailers departing the development.
Maine family business semifinalists spotlight what’s needed to grow
Out of 505 nominations submitted to the 2026 Maine Family Business Awards, 51 have been named semifinalists by the Institute for Family Owned Business, a Portland-based nonprofit.
KPMG sets up new S.F. office in ‘AI Alley’ near Anthropic and Salesforce
KPMG opens its new San Francisco office at 505 Howard Street, featuring an Ignition Center designed for client collaboration on AI transformation and business challenges.
Taste of China expands with second location, plans local chain
Taste of China plans to open a second location at the former Mister B's Restaurant & Tavern in Niagara Falls after closing the deal Aug. 21.
Scott's Addition's newest pizza parlor, Pizzeria Delores, opens for business
After leasing the former ice cream shop last fall, Max Sayer and Jacky Welch set out renovate the space to pay tribute to pizzerias of the 1980s with wood-paneled walls and vintage Schlitz Beer chandeliers hanging over booths.
810 Entertainment replacing Punch Bowl Social in Downtown Commons
Founded in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, 810 Entertainment will fill a spot previously occupied by Punch Bowl Social in Sacramento's Downtown Commons.
Cincinnati logistics company acquired by national firm
Priority Dispatch Inc. and Diamond Expedited, both owned by Jeff Thomas, will be acquired by Minneapolis-based Priority Courier Experts to expand logistics services across the Midwest.
Private Equity Wants to Invest in College Sports. Some Schools Are Wary.
As desperate as many athletic programs are for money, they are proceeding cautiously when it comes to deals with private equity.
USM creates one-stop shop for business support
Activities of USM's School of Business are moving to the Wishcamper Center, alongside the university's Office of Commercialization and near the Portland office of the Maine Small Business Development Center.
Nocterra Brewing closes its Powell, Columbus taprooms
One of Central Ohio’s largest craft breweries has permanently closed both of its locations.
Business Notes: New leader at Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society; $750K awarded for Norfolk rail project
See who’s getting promoted and which businesses are celebrating milestones in Hampton Roads.
Global Oil Price Rises to $90 a Barrel After U.S. and Iran Trade Attacks
The first attacks in a month jolted energy markets. The average U.S. gasoline price remained 37 percent higher since the war began.
Maui Chamber of Commerce and BizFlixTalk™ Bring Subsidized Business Growth Program to Maui Entrepreneurs
Maui business owners will have a new opportunity this fall to step back from the day-to-day demands of running a business and focus on what comes next through The Business Expansion Blueprint, a six-week interactive business-growth experience offered by the Maui Chamber of Commerce in partnership with BizFlixTalk.
This strange “spacetime crystal” can suddenly become a black hole
Physicists have mathematically captured a bizarre “spacetime crystal” that can either dissolve or collapse into a microscopic black hole after only a tiny change in energy. Their breakthrough came from an unusual trick involving infinitely many dimensions, potentially giving researchers a new tool for studying primordial and microscopic black holes.
A Mortgage Servicer Sent a Letter About an Address Change. Was It Deed Theft?
A letter arrived in the mail from PNC Bank about an address change on a mortgage account. Was a deed theft scheme in process?
Milestone Anniversaries: Alston Construction
On Aug. 11, we hosted a dinner at The Jacquelyn social club in in Midtown Sacramento with leaders of local businesses and nonprofits that are celebrating milestone anniversaries this year. Alston Construction Company was among the participants.
The all-time Unsung Heroes Awards honoree list
The Wichita Business Journal honors 60 indispensable employees across the region's organizations in the 2025 and 2026 Unsung Heroes Awards.
Roseville City Council to look at fee credits for downtown projects
Roseville City Council will vote Sept. 2 on a fee credit program offering up to $50,000 to developers building in the downtown area.
5 Boring Small Business Ideas with Customers Who Pay Month After Month
These small business ideas may not have the most glamour, but they have something better: recurring revenue.
NASA Spots a Bizarre 'Jellyfish' Floating on Mars. Here's What We Know.
H.G. Wells called it.
New Business Licenses: 8.28.26
Chesterfield and Henrico report restaurants, medical billing services, janitorial services and more. (BizSense Pro required)
Why Michigan is a top state for new business survival
"I think it's hard to say whether it's indicative of long-term success," said Alex Rainville, who teaches at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
Why Michigan startups are finding success
Nick Joe Kelley, owner and founder of Elite Paint Home Renovations, at a customer’s home in New Baltimore, Aug. 25, 2026.
Bizarre Fossil Turns Out to Be a 24-Legged Insect Science Somehow Missed
A huge evolutionary puzzle piece just landed in our laps.
Bizarre Fossil Turns Out to Be a 24-Legged Insect Science Somehow Missed
A huge evolutionary puzzle piece just landed in our laps.
Debra Lienhardt, RWJBarnabas Health Executive Vice President, Chief Business Development and Legal Officer, Honored as a Leading Woman in Business by NJBIZ
Debra Lienhardt, RWJBarnabas Health Executive Vice President, Chief Business Development and Legal Officer, has been honored as a recipient of the 2026 NJBIZ Leading Women in Business award, which recognizes women who have made a significant impact in New Jersey.
Enbridge to buy Houston pipeline co.'s crude oil business in $600M Permian deal
Enbridge is buying Houston-based Salt Creek Midstream's crude oil business in the Permian Basin.
Prominent general contractor's Austin office raided by federal authorities
Federal authorities raided Cadence McShane Construction Co.'s Austin, San Antonio and Plano offices on Aug. 26, the Austin Business Journal has learned.
UPMC expands Pitt Athletics deal with jersey patch, women's sports sponsorship
UPMC expands partnership with Pitt Athletics, becoming presenting sponsor of women's sports and adding jersey patch to football uniforms.
Debra Lienhardt, RWJBarnabas Health Executive Vice President, Chief Business Development and Legal Officer, Honored as a Leading
Debra Lienhardt, RWJBarnabas Health Executive Vice President, Chief Business Development and Legal Officer, has been honored as a recipient of the 2026 NJBIZ Leading Women in Business award, which recognizes women who have made a significant impact in New Jersey. The honorees were celebrated at a formal event on August 18 at The Palace at Somerset Park.